• Creighton business survey: best Iowa numbers since June: RADIO IOWA
• Drought damaging Iowa homes: GAZETTE
• Controversial rules to remove non-citizen from voter registration rolls: RADIO IOWA
• Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty consider anti-piracy pact: GAZETTE
• Governor gives ex-GOP chair $137,000 a year job: RADIO IOWA
• Iowa corn, soybean losses from drought top $1 billion: GAZETTE
• Iowa State balked at Pawlenty speaking fee: GLOBEGAZETTE
• Iowa public school enrollment up sharply: GAZETTE
• iPads for all: GLOBEGAZETTE
• Iowans fight health insurer’s premium increase: QCTIMES
• Iowa officials say smoke alarms saved record lives: SCJOURNAL
• Applications for weapons permits up in Polk County: QCTIMES
• Ruth Harkin sought Iowa institute: QCTIMES

House Republicans have announced their committee assignments for the 2013/14 General Assembly. You can view the list of Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs after the break, or view the entire committee assignment document here.

Read on…

Following the Surpreme Court’s decision today regarding Obamacare, here is a comprehensive list of tax hikes included in the Obamacare law.

Comprehensive List of Obamacare Tax Hikes

• Property tax reform tops legislative list: REGISTER
• Caucus ’12: Iowa Poll: Iowans differ on strategies for job creation: REGISTER
• Number of deer taken down in first hunt: RADIO IOWA
• Caucus ’12: Ron Paul on attack: REGISTER
• Survey says unemployed aren’t optimistic about job prospects: RADIO IOWA
• New poll gauges Iowa Republicans’ attitude on immigration: RADIO IOWA
• Town halls, parent roundtable planned on education blueprint: REGISTER
• Caucus ’12: Paul’s campaign trying harder: GAZETTE
• Iowa sex abuse panel backs more detention training: QC TIMES
• Cedar Rapids voters consider local-option sales tax extension: GAZETTE
• Downtown Iowa City tax district approved: GAZETTE
• Iowa falls two places to No. 17 in healthy state rankings: REGISTER
• Iowa school district considers K-12 online school: QC TIMES
• Reform has too much emphasis on GPA: REGISTER
• Feds: New health-care law saved Medicare recipients avg of $581M on drugs: GLOBEGAZETTE
• Vote centers popular, save county money: GLOBEGAZETTE
• State officials don’t want legal fight: SCJOURNAL
• Infrastructure fund shouldn’t be used for teacher pay: SCJOURNAL

• Caucus ’12: Four-week blitz: time’s almost up: REGISTER
• Caucus ’12: Romney raps Obama’s Hawaiian vacation, Democrats snap back: RADIO IOWA
• Iowa Chief Justice to tell US Senate about coverage of the courts: RADIO IOWA
• Branstad: Survey indicates support for ed reforms: REGISTER
• Law officers talk about child abuse and its link to crime: RADIO IOWA
• Study says tougher licensing rules would protect young drivers: REGISTER
• Four percent increase in construction jobs in Iowa: RADIO IOWA
• Caucus ’12: Santorum expects ‘slow and steady’ rise: REGISTER
• Caucus ’12: Eyeing Gingrich in Iowa, Santorum signs up for the Trump debate: REGISTER
• Cedar Rapids fills housing holes with free land, housing breaks: GAZETTE
• DNR doesn’t monitor health impact of plant emissions: GLOBEGAZETTE
• Branstad disregards openness pledge: REGISTER
• Iowa sheriffs urge keeping state funds for home-visit programs: SC JOURNAL
• One in 5 Iowa bridges called ‘structurally deficient’: SC JOURNAL
• Iowa veterans home fined after falls: QC TIMES

The Iowa Executive Council met on October 3 with a number of items on the agenda. One such piece was a vote to renew the state’s group insurance contract with Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The renewal was accompanied by premium increases for two of the four covered areas. Health premiums are going to increase by 0.8% and dental rates will increase at a rate of 4.4%. The rates for term life insurance and long term disability will remain constant.

These rate increases translate into an additional $12 million in spending the state has to pay in order to cover its employees. For purposes of health insurance, the state pays 100% of single and double spouse contracts and 85% of an employee’s family premium. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, 87% of state employees pay nothing toward their health insurance premiums.

Read on…

On Monday, October 3, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) released the final revenue figures for FY 2011 and the first quarter figures for FY 2012. While FY 2011 came in above the estimate set by the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), FY 2012 is below the current REC estimate.

Read on for details…

Governor Branstad unveiled his vision for education reform earlier this week, a plan that will likely dominate much of the discussion during the 2012 legislative session. The plan was developed primarily by Department of Education Director Jason Glass, and the Governor’s Assistant for Education, Linda Fandel. Following the Education Summit, which the Governor hosted this summer, they set to work taking ideas from multiple sources and began drafting a plan. After several meetings with many education stakeholders, including legislators, school boards, teachers unions, school administrators, AEAs, and the business community, a draft was composed.

The heart of the plan is to get a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every building. Director Glass has emphasized many times that this is a comprehensive plan with many pieces that all fit together. This is a systemic change of “Strategic Persistence,” reforms that pull together, make sense, last years, and will take time to work.

Read on for a breakdown of the plan…

A new October 2011 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version.

Caucus Newsletter October 7, 2011

Included in this edition:

• Detailed Summary of Governor’s Education Reform Plan
• FY 12 Revenue Concerns Grow
• 87% of State Employees Pay Nothing Toward Health Care

• Caucus ’12: Nevada moves forward, could Iowa caucuses be in December?: REGISTER
• ‘To do’ list for Terrace Hill includes end of cold showers: RADIO IOWA
• Vilsack says reducing ethanol mandate is ‘ill-advised’ and ‘ill-timed’: RADIO IOWA
• Leader of disabled advocacy group is forced out: REGISTER
• Manufacturing study shows mixed results for the state: RADIO IOWA
• Caucus ’12: Palin decision locks in GOP field: REGISTER
• High-tech teaching consultant to visit Iowa schools: RADIO IOWA
• Listeria strain in tainted cantaloupe linked to Iowa woman’s miscarriage: REGISTER
• Iowa group’s survey finds 60 percent of American workers are full timers: RADIO IOWA
• Caucus ’12: Voters look around; Newt reinvigorated: OBRADOVICH
• Iowa educators call for more detailed reform blueprint: QC TIMES
• Institute gives Iowa economy high marks: QC TIMES
• ‘Wal-Mart mothers’ could be key voting demographic: GLOBEGAZETTE